Journal article
Vaginal Leptothrix: An Innocent Bystander?
Microorganisms (Basel), Vol.10(8), p.1645
08/15/2022
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10081645
PMCID: PMC9415594
PMID: 36014063
Abstract
Leptothrix are long bacteria of rare occurrence; although these bacteria have been implicated in causing vaginal symptoms identical to candidiasis, studies on prevalence and effect on overall vaginal health are lacking. In this study, we evaluated data of women referred to a private clinic for treating vulvovaginal symptoms (n = 1847) and reassessed data of our previous and ongoing studies (n = 1773). The overall rate of leptothrix was 2.8% (102/3620), and the mean age of affected women was 38.8 ± 10.65 years (range 18−76). The majority of the women with leptothrix had normal vaginal flora (63.7% [65/102]). Leptothrix was associated with a higher risk of candidiasis (relative risk (RR) 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1600–3.1013;
p
= 0.010) and a lower risk of bacterial vaginosis (RR 0.55, 95% CI, 0.3221–0.9398;
p
= 0.029) and cytolytic vaginosis (RR 0.11, 95% CI, 0.0294–0.4643;
p
= 0.002). No cases of trichomoniasis were observed. Human immunodeficiency virus infection increased the risk of leptothrix (RR 3.0, 95% CI, 1.6335–5.7245;
p
= 0.000). Among the women evaluated for vulvovaginal symptoms, 2.4% (45/1847) had leptothrix, and in 26.7% (12/45), leptothrix was considered the causative entity. This study suggests that leptothrix occurrence is rare; it remains unresolved if it can be a cause of vulvar symptoms.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Vaginal Leptothrix: An Innocent Bystander?
- Creators
- Pedro Vieira-Baptista - Lusíada University of PortoJoana Lima-Silva - Hospital Lusíadas Porto, 4050-115 Porto, Portugal Lower Genital Tract Unit, Centro Hospitalar de São João, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Torino, 10124 Turin, Italy Unilabs, 4150-178 Porto, Portugal Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University Iowa Healthcare, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA Galilee Medical Center, and Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Safed 1311502, IsraelMario Preti - Hospital Lusíadas Porto, 4050-115 Porto, Portugal Lower Genital Tract Unit, Centro Hospitalar de São João, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Torino, 10124 Turin, Italy Unilabs, 4150-178 Porto, Portugal Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University Iowa Healthcare, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA Galilee Medical Center, and Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Safed 1311502, IsraelCarlos Sousa - Hospital Lusíadas Porto, 4050-115 Porto, Portugal Lower Genital Tract Unit, Centro Hospitalar de São João, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Torino, 10124 Turin, Italy Unilabs, 4150-178 Porto, Portugal Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University Iowa Healthcare, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA Galilee Medical Center, and Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Safed 1311502, IsraelFernanda Caiano - Hospital Lusíadas Porto, 4050-115 Porto, Portugal Lower Genital Tract Unit, Centro Hospitalar de São João, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Torino, 10124 Turin, Italy Unilabs, 4150-178 Porto, Portugal Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University Iowa Healthcare, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA Galilee Medical Center, and Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Safed 1311502, IsraelColleen K. Stockdale - University of IowaJacob Bornstein - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Microorganisms (Basel), Vol.10(8), p.1645
- DOI
- 10.3390/microorganisms10081645
- PMID
- 36014063
- PMCID
- PMC9415594
- NLM abbreviation
- Microorganisms
- ISSN
- 2076-2607
- eISSN
- 2076-2607
- Publisher
- MDPI
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/15/2022
- Academic Unit
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Record Identifier
- 9984318327502771
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